AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending September 28, 2024

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending September 28, 2024.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 507,537 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.6 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending September 28 were 227,046 carloads, down 3.5 percent compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 280,491 containers and trailers, up 6.2 percent compared to 2023.

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included grain, up 2,435 carloads, to 20,941; motor vehicles and parts, up 732 carloads, to 16,705; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 617 carloads, to 10,782. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 included coal, down 6,955 carloads, to 60,885; nonmetallic minerals, down 3,168 carloads, to 30,583; and metallic ores and metals, down 1,863 carloads, to 21,213.

For the first 39 weeks of 2024, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 8,472,040 carloads, down 3.3 percent from the same point last year; and 10,211,605 intermodal units, up 9.5 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 39 weeks of 2024 was 18,683,645 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3.3 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending September 28, 2024, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 338,087 carloads, down 3.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 362,754 intermodal units, up 4.2 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 700,841 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.3 percent. North American rail volume for the first 39 weeks of 2024 was 25,999,318 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.5 percent compared with 2023.

Canadian railroads reported 96,658 carloads for the week, down 1.6 percent, and 70,390 intermodal units, down 0.3 percent compared with the same week in 2023. For the first 39 weeks of 2024, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 6,183,042 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.1 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 14,383 carloads for the week, down 17.0 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,873 intermodal units, down 11.4 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 39 weeks of 2024 was 1,132,631 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 3.9 percent from the same point last year.